Air conditioning is the process of altering the properties of air (primarily temperature and humidity) to more favorable conditions. More generally, air conditioning can refer to any form of technological cooling, heating, ventilation, or disinfection that modifies the condition of air.
An air conditioner is a major or home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to change the air temperature and humidity within an area (used for cooling and sometimes heating depending on the air properties at a given time). The cooling is typically done using a simple refrigeration cycle, but sometimes evaporation is used, commonly for comfort cooling in buildings and motor vehicles. In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation and air conditioning is referred to as HVAC.
Room air conditioners come in two forms: unitary and packaged terminal PTAC systems. Unitary systems, the common one room air conditioners, sit in a window or wall opening, with interior controls. Interior air is cooled as a fan blows it over the evaporator. On the exterior the air is heated as a second fan blows it over the condenser. In this process, heat is drawn from the room and discharged to the environment. A large house or building may have several such units, permitting each room be cooled separately.
A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds or ozone. Air filters are used in applications where air quality is important, notably in building ventilation systems and in engines.
Air cleaning and filtration is an important factor of our indoor environment because cleaning the air filters out what the lungs cannot by removing particles, contaminants, vapors and gases from the air. The filtered and cleaned air then is used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Air cleaning and filtration should be taken in account when protecting our building environments.
Air filters currently being sold consist of metal wire net that is glued together with non-woven filtering fibers installed in a paper cardboard frame. This assembly is not recyclable due to its mixture of components. The glass fibers and the metal net do not quickly decompose in a landfill.
An additional problem is balancing filtration efficiency with air flow level. Today's market demands that pollen, pet dander, spores, etc. be significantly reduced with little degradation of air flow levels for those suffering from air quality related allergies.
In countries with aggressive industrial expansion, air quality is a serious concern. According to the World Bank 16 of the world's 20 cities with the worst air are in China. According to Chinese government sources, about a fifth of urban Chinese breath heavily polluted air. Many places smell like high-sulfur coal and leaded gasoline.
China's smog-filled cities are ringed with heavy industry, metal smelters, and coal-fired power plants, all critical to keeping the fast-growing economy going even as they spew tons of carbon, metals, gases, and soot into the air. The air pollution and smog in Beijing and Shanghai are sometimes so bad that the airports are shut down because of poor visibility. The air quality of Beijing is 16 times worse than New York City.
In developing countries, window air conditioners are common, and fail to adequately filter out pollutants. Current window unit air filter assemblies do not adequately address the dual problems of recyclability and air quality.
These and other problems need to be addressed.
Related patents and published patent applications known in the background art include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,393,419, issued to Schaaf on Jan. 22, 1946, discloses a frame for filters.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,575,499, issued to Manow on Nov. 20, 1951, discloses a removable fiber glass filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,308, issued to Navara on Oct. 17, 1972, discloses a window filter system providing filter means positionable in window frames adjacent opened windows for providing a cooling air flow to the associated room. Filter units are provided at both the top and bottom of the window frame to provide air circulation. The system is a passive system in that no mechanical parts are utilized for blowing air in or out of the room.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,570, issued to Liedl on Jan. 5, 1993, discloses a filtered cold air return register particularly for base board units which provides for a removable replacement filter section in combination with the normally provided duct covering or end section. The unit provides a filter device for the return air prior to its recycling by the furnace or air conditioning fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,799, issued to Ham on Jan. 17, 2006, discloses an air filter comprising an elastomeric flange member and a filter member mounted therein. The flange member has opposing ends and sides that define a central opening and protruding members integrally formed with the flange member and extending therefrom. The protruding members have opposed inwardly facing faces. The filter member has filter ends and sides and the filter sides are attached to the opposed faces in an insert molding process or via bonding of the filter sides to the respective faces.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,919, issued to Ruiz et al. on May 8, 2012, discloses a window filter apparatus which provides a framework for holding filters within the frame of windows, thereby offering filtered outside air for a building, without having to run an air conditioner. The apparatus further provides for filtering noise and light by the same filters. Box fans are ideal companions for the apparatus for drawing additional outside air into a building. No additional hardware or tools are needed. There is no invasion of windows or window frames.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2004/0182055, inventor Wynn, published on Sep. 23, 2004, discloses a collapsible expandable air filter assembly which includes an expandable pleated filter media, a filter frame made from a cardboard blank that is pre-scored, slit, creased and die cut to define a central area enabling air passage therethrough, and side and end panels foldable to positions generally normal to the central area to form a perimeter wall about the central area to receive and support the expanded air filter media. A filter grill is formed from a cardboard blank and has an open central area and laterally opposite marginal side and end walls foldable to enable mounting on the filter frame to assist in retaining the filter media within the filter frame. Separating fingers are formed integral with or separate from but connectable to the filter grill and are adopted to be positioned between adjacent expandable pleats to evenly position and secure the filter pleats. The filter frame and filter grill are foldable into compact folded positions of substantially similar size to the collapsed pleated air filter media to enable compact stacking and insertion into a carton for shipping and storage as a kit before assembly. Alternative collapsible disposable air filter embodiments utilize similar expandable pleated filter media but employ filter frames formed from pairs of panel frame members adapted to have their free ends interconnected to form a rectangular frame that receives the expanded filter media, but can be collapsed for stacking with the collapsed pleated filter media and inserted into a carton for shipping and storage as a kit prior to assembly.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2006/0005711, inventor Olefson, published on Jan. 16, 2006, discloses a replaceable air filter for a vehicle air conditioning system which employs a pleated, porous filter media coated with a perfume polymer composition to impart a long-lasting scent to air passing through the filter. In alternative embodiments of the invention the perfume/polymer composition is contained in a sheet overlying the filter material, in the frame or in a bead supported by the filter.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2011/0030557, inventor Brownstein et al., published on Feb. 10, 2011, discloses a non-woven textile based filter media which is produced from polyester fiber generated using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage bottles, and that non-woven textile based filter media is used to make an air filter. By controlling the diameters and lengths of the PET derived polyester fibers, a non-woven textile based filter media that exhibits a natural Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of about 8 (without requiring electrostatic treatment) and a pressure drop of 2.9 PSI or less can be achieved. A related exemplary embodiment is an air filter fabricated entirely from recycled materials, including a recycled cardboard frame, the non-woven textile based filter media made from recycled PET derived polyester fibers, and a support structure made of recycled plastic or metal wire.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,393,419, 2,575,499, 3,698,308, 5,176,570, 6,986,799, and 8,172,919, plus Published Patent Applications 2004/0182055, 2006/0005711 and 2011/0030557 are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
An air filter assembly that overcomes the numerous problems cited above is needed.
The foregoing patent, patent publication and non-patent information reflect the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and is tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the technology described herein. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.